


Give Me Your Dreams (I'll Show You the Way)

by owlways_and_forever



Series: When Eagles Fall Silent [24]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Academia, Cambridge, Gen, Wizarding Culture (Harry Potter), Wizarding Universities (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:34:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29276253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlways_and_forever/pseuds/owlways_and_forever
Summary: Once upon a time, Hannah had dreamt of being a student at Cambridge. But then she’d gotten her Hogwarts letter and all that had changed. Gone were her dreams of Cambridge in one fell swoop.
Series: When Eagles Fall Silent [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029726





	Give Me Your Dreams (I'll Show You the Way)

Hannah sighed, stepping out onto the green in the center of Pembroke College. It was a glorious summer day, the sun shining high and bright and warm. Even though it was July and the height of summer vacation, Hannah’s mother was still teaching courses, and spent all day on campus. Hannah was used to it though, since her parents had been professors at the college her entire life. In all honesty, she loved it. Pembroke College felt like home to her, just as much as the little house on Victoria Road and the pink bedroom that she shared with her sister.

Once upon a time, Hannah had dreamt of being a student at Cambridge. She wanted to attend the May Ball and row on the River Cam. She had planned on achieving perfect grades and finishing top of her class, acing all her A levels. But then she’d gotten her Hogwarts letter and all that had changed. Gone were her dreams of Cambridge in one fell swoop.

It wasn’t entirely bad, Hannah had to admit. Hogwarts itself was a challenging education, particularly when she felt at such a disadvantage compared to her classmates who had grown up in wizarding households. But Hannah had never shied from a challenge before, and Hogwarts was no different. 

It often irked her, that if it weren’t for Hermione Granger, Hannah would be top of the class. But of course that  _ irritating  _ Gryffindor girl had to effortlessly ace every assignment and exam. Hermione may not have known it, but she and Hannah were locked in an intense race to the top. Hannah sighed. It was no use being jealous of Hermione or angry about it. Besides, Hannah had her extracurriculars as well as all her coursework, and that was an area in which she certainly had Hermione beat.

“Are you alright, Hannah?”

She looked up to see Professor Abney standing nearby, a breeze lightly lifting strands of her blonde hair that had fallen free of her neat bun. 

“I’m fine, thanks,” Hannah replied, forcing a smile. “Just waiting for Mum to finish class so we can have lunch.”

Professor Abney nodded and looked at the space next to Hannah on the bench.

“Do you mind if I join you?”

“Please.”

The professor took a seat, regarding Hannah with a quiet curiosity for a moment before speaking with kindness and concern in her voice.

“You seem upset,” she said. “Is everything alright at school?”

“Yes!” Hannah replied quickly, anxious at the idea that a professor might think she was struggling academically. “School is fine, great actually. I was just thinking about the future, I suppose. It looks very different now than it did when I was a child.”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Professor Abney answered. “We all change a lot as we grow.”

“I know, but I think there are some things that are changing even though I don’t want them to,” Hanah explained, trying to be vague enough to protect her secret. “Circumstance is stealing away my dreams, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Professor Abney was quiet for a long moment, her face scrunched up in concentration as she thought about how to answer.

“I know,” she said at last, with a quick glance around the courtyard. “I know what you are. I am too.”

“W-what?” Hannah stammered, taken aback by the unexpected statement.

The professor pulled her briefcase across her knees so it sat between them and opened it, tipping it so that Hannah could see inside. Hannah peered in and saw the unmistakable wooden handle of a wand.

“You’re a -?”

Professor Abney cut her off with a gentle hand placed on her wrist and a nod to confirm Hannah’s conclusion.

“You’ve been thinking about university, haven’t you?” she asked, looking at Hannah knowingly. “You’re sixteen, it’s only natural. And I know how much you always dreamt of going to Cambridge.”

Hannah nodded, still stunned by the revelation that Professor Abney, whom she had known since she was just a girl, was a witch like her.

“How did you do it?” Hannah asked after a moment, suddenly gushing all of the questions that came to mind. “Did you fake a transcript? And references? Did you decide to just leave our world behind and live as a Muggle? Does Mr. Collins know? What about Annabeth, is she like us?”

Professor Abney laughed lightly, a smile drifting across her face at Hannah’s excitement and curiosity. It was so reminiscent of herself at a younger age.

“No, I haven’t left that world behind,” she chuckled, starting with the easier answers first. “Of course my husband knows, and I suspect Annabeth is the same as us, but really she’s too young to know. As for the how of it all... there’s a college here, for people like us. Morgan College. It’s as elite as the rest of the university, taking only the best from all the magical schools around the world.”

“Is there really?” Hannah gasped, her blue eyes widening in awe and excitement. “What’s it like?”

“Well, it’s a melding of Muggle and Magical academics,” the professor explained, tilting her head up to the sun like a sunflower. “You choose from the same concentrations as Muggles - geography, art history, mathematics, engineering, biology - but it's a mixed courseload. The buildings exclusive to Morgan College all have the most complex enchantments, so that any Muggles who might wander in will only see or hear non-magical content and activity. There are Morgan-only social events, naturally, but there are also a lot of mixed events with the other colleges. They try to give you as typical a Cambridge experience as they can.”

“That sounds amazing!” she exclaimed, practically vibrating with elation. “How do I apply?”

“Next Christmas, remind me, and I’ll get an application for you,” Professor Abney answered. “You’ll need five references - if you want I could be one - and you’ll get a conditional answer based on your O.W.L.s, your mid term standing, and your references. The final admission will depend on your N.E.W.T.s though, so mind you don’t start to slack.”

“I would never,” Hannah promised sincerely. “Do you… do you think I can get in?”

“I wouldn’t have told you about it if I didn’t,” she smiled, patting Hannah on the knee. With a subtle glance at her watch, the professor stood. “Your mother should be out soon. Bye Hannah.”

“Bye Professor Abney!”

As the professor walked away, Hannah couldn’t help but smile to herself. She had started the afternoon so downcast, unsure what goal she was working toward anymore. But now she knew, and she felt even more determined than before. She was going to be the best and brightest witch at Hogwarts.  _ She _ was going to go to Cambridge.


End file.
